Using a wing and backplate system brings many benefits – some of which I will go through here.  I have a 'how to fit a backplate' guide under training tips.

The first and most obvious difference in a backplate set up with a one piece harness is that the chest and front of diver is clear. This means that the diver is more comfortable, more streamlined, there is easy access to the dry-suit inflate button, the corrugated hose and the backup regulator.

The buoyancy is behind the diver and does not restrict the diver’s breathing even when fully inflated. Most people find this particularly liberating after a standard BC. The other benefit of having buoyancy is right next to the cylinders, is that the centre of buoyancy is very close to the centre of gravity. This means that you are more manoeuvrable underwater. With a stab jacket, most of the buoyancy is around the lower abdomen area and the majority of the weight at the back where the cylinder(s) are. This means that the centre of buoyancy and gravity are much further apart which results in less manoeuvrability and a tendency to exaggerate a roll if you roll slightly.

Modular and easy to extend as your diving changes or progresses. By buying a separate harness and wing, you can use different size wings depending on the type of diving you are doing and what size/number of cylinders you are using. Furthermore, if, as a relatively inexperienced diver, you start by using a single tank configuration (e.g. 27 lb wing with harness), you can very easily switch to a twin-set by simply buying a bigger wing (e.g. 40 lb wing). You will still use the same harness.

This is great because it means that you won’t have to fork out for a completely new stab jacket/wing and you will already be familiar with the harness. It makes for a very easy transition or change from one to the other and back again should you want to dive a single off a rib or on holiday. It is important to match the size of the wing to the tanks being used.

Commercially available harnesses tend to be available in a limited number of sizes which means that you may have to compromise to find one which you can use. In an effort to look “technical” and to get around the problem of not having fully adjustable D-ring positions, these designs usually have an inordinate number of D-rings. The result is that the chest area is now cluttered and you are left fumbling around with cold, gloved hands wondering which D-ring you clipped a particular item to. In addition, if you ever wish to get into using side-mounted stage/decompression cylinders you will find that the position of the shoulder D-ring on the many commercial jackets is too low and not up against your collar bone (as it should be).

Be aware that what feels comfortable in a shop whilst wearing a T-shirt is not necessarily good in the water. The back plate and harness won't feel as comfortable as a "soft back" type wing in the shop, but once you have a wetsuit or dry-suit on and you are in the water, there is no comparison.

By having one piece webbing with D-rings fitted with sliding retainers, you can adjust the position of all the D-rings and all the lengths of the straps infinitely to get the perfect fit for you. Even the same diver needs to do this if switching from cold UK diving (with drysuit and undergarments) to warm tropical diving (wetsuit/”shortie”). In this way you can ensure that the tanks are always firmly and snugly held onto you.

The harness should be constructed from a continuous piece of webbing, avoiding two-piece designs and quick-release buckles.

Individuals are occasionally confused into believing that convenience at the surface is a more important concern than safety during the dive. It is never a reasonable trade-off to accept a potentially fatal risk in favour of a minor convenience. The failure of a two-piece design or the accidental release of a buckle system could easily result in a diver's tanks falling from his body. Without the weight of his tanks, the diver would likely rapidly ascend to the surface, resulting in serious injury or death.

Another unrealistic concern that occasionally leads divers into the use of quickrelease buckles involves the belief that a diver should be able to quickly remove his equipment at the surface. Again the diver should not place himself at a higher risk during a dive due to an irrational fear over an unlikely and easily managed surface episode. There is a very simple technique to be learned in order to get out of the harness easily. This is best shown by demonstration. I’m happy to arrange this and regularly teach students to do this during a fundamentals class.

The stainless steel back plate at 6 lbs. is heavier than a “soft back plate” but a certain amount of weight is needed to compensate for the insulation of either a dry-suit or a wetsuit. This is weight that you can take off your weight belt.

A diver can also add weight behind the back plate in the form of a “V- weight”. Taking some of the weight off of your weight belt is actually more comfortable underwater and it will take the strain off of your lower back. A lot of weight around the hips in the horizontal position means that your upper body is being pulled upwards by the buoyancy of the BC and your hips are being pulled down by the weight of the weight belt. This often causes backache after long dives.

Furthermore, once the stainless steel cam bands are at the right height on the cylinders, you can guarantee that the height of the harness on the cylinders will always be the same on every dive. This is very important, as you must be able to reach the valves behind you (once underwater) in the event of a having to shut down one of the valves.

For single tank diving, one uses an adapter that bolts onto the back plate. This adapter has 2 cam bands made out of webbing rather like most stab jackets but 2 instead of the 1 found on some stab jackets.

Wings come in different sizes; you need to decide which will suit you best. A 40 lb wing is perfectly adequate for diving twin 12 litre cylinders. No more than 30 lb wing is required for a single cylinder.

Some divers and manufacturers try to use one wing to cover a multitude of different cylinders and often use elasticated cords to constrain the wing when it is not inflated. These are not recommended for several reasons.

In the event the wing was holed, they would force the air out of the wing resulting in loss of buoyancy (prior to the hole: the pressure inside wing = ambient pressure). If you had to orally inflate the wing, the exertion would be much harder because you are fighting against the elasticity. Finally, the rippled surface of the bungeed wing actually creates more drag, as it hasn't got a smooth surface like the wing shown above has and the elastic cords present snag points & things can hook onto them.